GAME DAY: Lightning vs. Preds, Dec. 7

After securing the sweep on their two-game road trip, the Nashville Predators will return home on Thursday looking to collect their third-straight win as they face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bolts will arrive in the Music City also eager to grab their third consecutive win, after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins on the first of a back-to-back set on Wednesday.

This is the first time the two teams will meet since the Predators season-opener at AMALIE Arena on Oct. 10, a 5-3 loss for the visitors.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Here's everything you need to know:

LAST TIME OUT

On Tuesday, the Predators prevailed in their first shootout of the season, defeating the Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 to nab their eighth win in the last 10 games.

Luke Evangelista (4), Mark Jankowski (1) and Ryan O’Reilly (12) each scored for the Predators, while Filip Forsberg iced the game in the shootout. The shootout was not only the first of Nashville’s campaign, but the first in franchise history to see all three Predators shooters score.

Nashville went 1-for-2 on the power play (O’Reilly) and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.

Juuse Saros turned away 25 shots to secure his second win in as many starts as the Predators improved to 13-12-0 on the season and 5-6-0 on the road.

THE GOOD GUYS

Forsberg leads the Predators in points (29), goals (13) and assists (16). O’Reilly is second in points with 22 (12g-10a) and Roman Josi third with 18 (5g-13a).

Saros is 10-10-0 after 20 games, with a 3.03 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. Kevin Lankinen is 3-2-0 with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage after seven games.

Nashville sits sixth in the Central Division with 26 points.

THE OTHER GUYS

Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning in points (42), goals (16) and assists (26) and extended his assist streak to 11 games on Wednesday - the longest assist streak in franchise history.

Brayden Point is second in points with 30 (12g-18a) and Steven Stamkos third with 25 (10g-15a).

With Andrei Vasilevskiy getting the start against Pittsburgh last night, the Lightning will likely look to Jonas Johansson to close out their back-to-back slate.

Johansson is 8-5-5 with a 3.44 goals against average and a .892 save percentage after 19 games.

The Lightning are currently fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 12-10-5 record overall and a 4-7-2 record on the road.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS

The Predators are 18-18-(2)-5 all-time against the Lightning, including a 10-8-(0)-4 record at Bridgestone Arena. Thursday will be the second and final matchup between Nashville and Tampa Bay in 2023-24 and the first and only at home.

The Predators hosted the Lightning outdoors in the 2022 Stadium Series at Nissan Stadium on Feb. 26, 2022, drawing 68,619 fans, the seventh-most in a game in NHL history. It was Nashville’s second outdoor game (2020 Winter Classic in Dallas) and the first to be played at home in Tennessee.

The Predators are 0-4-1 in their last five games against the Lightning; they are 2-7-1 in their last 10; and 1-3-1 in their last five at home. Nashville did not suffer a regulation loss to Tampa Bay from Feb. 27, 2014-Dec. 3, 2019, a 13-game span (10-0-3).

NOTABLES VS. TAMPA BAY

• Ryan McDonagh was acquired from Tampa Bay on July 3, 2022. McDonagh won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning and skated in 267 games with the organization from 2018-22, tallying 99 points (20g-79a).
• Luke Schenn won two Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay (2020-21) and played in 63 games for the Lightning across parts of two seasons from 2019-23.
• Colton Sissons notched his first career regular-season hat trick on Jan. 5, 2017 vs. Tampa Bay and became the first player in NHL history to score at least three goals in a game with his second being an empty-netter and his third being scored on a goalie.
• Roman Josi has 18 points (5g-13a) in 25 career games against the Lightning, including nine points (3g-6a) in his last 13 contests.
• Gustav Nyquist has 10 goals and 20 points in 31 career meetings with Tampa Bay.
• Alexandre Carrier scored his first career NHL goal on March 13, 2021 at Tampa Bay.
• Predators Assistant Coach Todd Richards won the 2020 Stanley Cup as a member of the Lightning, serving in the same role.
• Lightning forward Tanner Jeannot played the first 152 games of his NHL career with the Predators from 2021-23, recording 62 points (34g-28a).
• Tampa Bay forward Austin Watson was selected by Nashville in the first round (18th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. He played in 306 games for the Predators from 2013-20.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Colton Sissons is two assists from 100 in his NHL career.
• Roman Josi (163) is four goals from passing Shea Weber (166) for the third-most in Predators history.
• Kevin Lankinen is five games from 100 in his NHL career.

LINE ‘EM UP

Below are Nashville’s line combinations from Tuesday’s game against Chicago:

Forsberg - O’Reilly - Nyquist
Sherwood - Parssinen - Evangelista
Jankowski - McCarron - Tomasino
Trenin - Sissons

McDonagh - Josi
Lauzon - Fabbro
Stastney - Schenn
Barrie

Saros
Lankinen

Scratch: Carrier (Week-to-Week, Upper Body), Foudy, Smith (Day-to-Day, Illness)

IR: Glass, Novak

JUMP TO LIGHTSPEED

May the Force be with you! Thursday is Star Wars Night at Bridgestone Arena! Purchase a ticket pack add-on to get an exclusive Preds Star Wars jersey to take home at the Tampa Bay Lightning game. Click here to get tickets.

Stop by the Preds Foundation table (outside section 106/107) during the game to purchase your Preds Star Wars jersey for $50.

WATCH & LISTEN

Coverage for Thursday’s game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analysts Chris Mason and Hal Gill and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side. The game can also be streamed live on Fubo; click here for a 14-day free trial.

Pete Weber and Jay More will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by Max Herz beginning one hour before puck drop. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM. (El partido también se transmite en español por El Jefe en 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM y 810 AM.)